news

23rd Star Awards for TV winners: (Main photo) Sunshine Dizon and Gretchen Barretto tied for Best Single Performance by an Actress; (insets) Boy Abunda won Best Male Showbiz-Oriented Show Host for SNN, Rufa Mae Quinto was named Best Comedy Actress for Bubble Gang, and Ryan Agoncillo won Best Talent Show Host for Talentadong Pinoy.

Photo: Enie Reyes

The 23rd PMPC Star Awards for Television was held at the Pagcor Grand Theater, on Ninoy Aquino Ave., in Paranaque City last night, November 29. The program proper was slightly delayed, starting at past 7.m., to welcome attendees coming from faraway northside of the metropolis, including representatives from both giant networks ABS-CBN and GMA-7.

As in years past, this year's Star Awards for TV is a battle between 2 and 7, with the Kapamilya network now taking lead over its rival, Kapuso network, for the highest honors—the Best Station Award.

The long-running Maalaala Mo Kaya was named Best Drama Anthology and last year's edition of ASAP was adjudged Best Musical-Variety Show of the year.

ABS-CBN won a total of 27 awards.

GMA-7, on the other hand, garnered a total of 17 trophies, notably for the documentary program I-Witness and its hosts composed of Kara David, Jay Taruc, Sandra Aguinaldo, and Howee Severino; the Best Magazine Show and Host for the long-running Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho; Best Youth-oriented Program for Ka-Blog; and Best Host in an educational program (Kap's Amazing Stories) for Sen. Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr.

Other TV networks also figured in this year's awards: Q 11 with Balik-bayan, hosted by Drew Arellano (Best Travel Show and Host) and Day-Off, Best Reality Program.

UNTV 37 won an award for Ben Tulfo's Bitag Live (Best public service program host) and Net 25 clinched an award for the hosting chore of Janice de Belen in Sunday's Spoon.

TV5 was represented by actor-host Ryan Agoncillo whose talent search show Talentadong Pinoy scored a double victory, as Best Talent Search Show and Best Talent Search Show Host. Another winner from TV5 was the horror-fantasy program Midnight DJ.

Performers of the event, among many others, included Arnel Pineda and Charice; the Star Magic talents led by Piolo Pascual, Bea Alonzo, Vina Morales, and Sam Milby; top balladeer Jed Madela, Laarni Lozada, Sheryn Regis, Bugoy Drilon, Yeng Constantino; the Giggers Boys, Allan K and the EB Babes; and Nina and Richard Poon who sang the Best Teleserye Theme Song medley.

Produced by VIP Access Media and directed by Erick Salud, the 23rd Star Awards for Television 2009 has a delayed program telecast on ABS-CBN's Sunday's Best. It is an undertaking of the Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC), headed by entertainment writer-columnist, Roldan Castro.